James Bell (actor)
James Harlee Bell (December 1, 1891 – October 26, 1973)[1] was an American film and stage actor who appeared in about 150 films and television shows through 1964.
Bell was born in Suffolk, Virginia, and attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute.
In 1920, he made his theatrical debut as Venustiano in The Bad Man.[1] He worked steadily on Broadway through 1941.
His first film role was in I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang in 1932.
Among his television appearances were four guest roles on Perry Mason. In 1958 he played murder victim J.J. Stanley in "The Case of the Green-Eyed Sister," and murderer P.E. Overbrook in "The Case of the Lazy Lover." In 1960 he played murderer Zack Davis in "The Case of the Frantic Flyer," and murder victim Silas Vance in "The Case of the Lavender Lipstick." Also in 1960 Bell appeared as Dr. Malcolm Allen in the TV western Laramie in the episode titled "Street of Hate."
Bell was married to Joyce Arling.
Broadway roles
- The Bad Man (1920) as Venustiano
- A Free Soul (1928) as Bill Wilfong
- Jarnegan (1928) as Jimmy Fallon
- Your Uncle Dudley (1933) as Robert Kirby
- The Last Mile (1930) as Richard Walters
- Kill That Story (1934) as Duke Devlin
- Tobacco Row as Lester
Selected filmography
- I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) - Red (uncredited)
- The Monkey's Paw (1933) - Flute Player (uncredited)
- The King's Vacation (1933) - Anderson
- Infernal Machine (1933) - Spencer
- Private Detective 62 (1933) - Whitey
- Storm at Daybreak (1933) - Peter (uncredited)
- Day of Reckoning (1933) - Slim
- White Woman (1933) - Hambly
- Student Tour (1934) - Indian Fakir (uncredited)
- The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935) - Indian Officer (uncredited)
- Holiday Inn (1942) - Dunbar
- I Walked with a Zombie (1943) - Dr. Maxwell
- The Leopard Man (1943) - Dr. Galbraith
- My Friend Flicka (1943) - Gus
- So Proudly We Hail! (1943) - Col. White
- Gangway for Tomorrow (1943) - Tom Burke
- I Love a Soldier (1944) - Williams
- Thunderhead, Son of Flicka (1945) - Gus
- Blood on the Sun (1945) - Charley Sprague
- The Girl of the Limberlost (1945) - Wesley Sinton
- The Spiral Staircase (1946) - Constable
- The Unknown (1946) - Edward Martin
- Dead Reckoning (1947) - Father Logan
- Blind Spot (1947) - Det. Lt. Fred Applegate
- The Sea of Grass (1947) - Sam Hall
- The Millerson Case (1947) - Ezra Minnich
- Brute Force (1947) - Crenshaw - Convict in Print Shop
- The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947) - John Willhart
- Philo Vance's Secret Mission (1947) - Sheriff Harry Madison
- Driftwood (1947) - Sheriff Bolton
- Killer McCoy (1947) - Father Patrick Ryan
- I, Jane Doe (1948) - Judge Bertrand
- Black Eagle (1948) - Frank Hayden
- Sealed Verdict (1948) - Mr. Hockland
- Roughshod (1949) - Pa (Ed) Wyatt
- Streets of Laredo (1949) - Ike
- Dial 1119 (1950) - Harrison D. Barnes
- The Company She Keeps (1951) - Mr. Neeley
- Buckaroo Sheriff of Texas (1951) - Sheriff Tom White
- The Dakota Kid (1951) - Sheriff Tom White
- Flying Leathernecks (1951) - Colonel
- Arizona Manhunt (1951) - Sheriff Tom White
- Red Mountain (1951) - Dr. Terry
- Japanese War Bride (1952) - Ed Sterling
- Wild Horse Ambush (1952) - Sheriff Tom White
- Ride the Man Down (1952) - John Evarts
- Million Dollar Mermaid (1952) - Judge
- Hannah Lee: An American Primitive (1953) - Man at Carousel in Prologue (uncredited)
- The Last Posse (1953) - Will Romer
- Devil's Canyon (1953) - Dr. Betts
- Crime Wave (1953) - Daniel O'Keefe
- All the Brothers Were Valiant (1953) - Aaron Burnham
- The Glenn Miller Story (1954) - Mr. Burger
- Riding Shotgun (1954) - Doc Winkler
- About Mrs. Leslie (1954) - Mr. Herbert Poole
- Black Tuesday (1954) - John Norris
- Strategic Air Command (1955) - Rev. Dr. Thorne
- Marty (1955) - Mr. Snyder (uncredited)
- Lay That Rifle Down (1955) - Mr. Fetcher
- Sincerely Yours (1955) - Grandfather Hunt
- Texas Lady (1955) - Cass Gower
- Lay That Rifle Down (1955) - Thomas Paul Grant
- A Lawless Street (1955) - Asaph Dean
- Tribute to a Bad Man (1956) - L.A. Peterson
- A Day of Fury (1956) - Doc Logan
- Huk! (1956) - Stephen Rogers
- The Search for Bridey Murphy (1956) - Hugh Lynn Cayce
- Four Girls in Town (1957) - Walter Conway
- The Lonely Man (1957) - Judge Hart
- Back from the Dead (1957) - Mr. Bradley
- Johnny Trouble (1957) - Reverend Harrington
- The Tin Star (1957) - Judge Thatcher
- In Love and War (1958) - Sidney Lenaine (uncredited)
- The Trap (1959) - Sourdough (uncredited)
- The Oregon Trail (1959) - Jeremiah Cooper
- -30- (1959) - Ben Quinn
- Posse from Hell (1961) - Benson
- Claudelle Inglish (1961) - Josh
- Bonanza (1962, Episode: "The Jury") - Hjalmer Olson
- The Virginian (1963 episode "To Make This Place Remember") - Dr. David T. Harvey
- Twilight of Honor (1963) - Charles Crispin
- Where Love Has Gone (1964) - Judge - Divorce Court (uncredited) (final film role)
References
- "IBDB: James Bell". ibdb.com.
External links
- James Bell on IMDb
- James Bell at the Internet Broadway Database
- Bell, Joyce Arling. Pumpernickel and champagne : a biography of James Harllee Bell. Kents Store, Va.: J.A. Bell, 1973. Print.